Serum biomarkers of inflammation (ferritin, IL-8, TNFR1) and outcomes in BOLERO-2, a phase III trial of HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer treated with everolimus (mTOR inhibitor).

Authors

null

Suhail M. Ali

Lebanon VAMC, Lebanon, PA

Suhail M. Ali , Albert Reising , Kim Leitzel , Joseph J. Drabick , Cristina I. Truica , Monali K. Vasekar , Harry Menon , Vinod Nagabhairu , Hyma Vani Polimera , Neha Pancholy , Prashanth Reddy Moku , Ashok Maddukuri , Herbert Schmid , Wei He , John Millholland , Meredith Lavin , Scott J. Hofsess , Robert William Sweetman , Gabriel N. Hortobagyi , Allan Lipton

Organizations

Lebanon VAMC, Lebanon, PA, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, Department of Medicine, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, Hershey, PA, Penn State Milton S Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, Novartis Pharma, Basel, Switzerland, Abbvie, North Chicago, IL, Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp, East Hanover, NJ, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Hoboken, NJ, Novartis Oncology, New Hope, PA, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Research Funding

Pharmaceutical/Biotech Company
Novartis

Background: Everolimus (EVE) plus exemestane (EXE) doubled PFS while maintaining quality of life versus EXE alone in postmenopausal hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) (BOLERO-2 phase 3; NCT00863655). Here we investigated several serum biomarkers of inflammation: ferritin, interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1). Both higher IL-8 (ASCO 2018, #3025) and TNF (Nature 569:428-32, 2019) have been reported to be associated with worsened outcome to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), and IL-8- and TNF-targeted therapies combined with ICIs are in phase I trials. We evaluated the prognostic/predictive ability of serum ferritin, IL-8, and TNFR1 to everolimus in BOLERO-2. Methods: Serum biomarkers were determined on pretreatment serum samples using the ELLA immunoassay platform (ProteinSimple, San Jose, CA). Cox-proportional hazards model was used to assess the efficacy of EVE, and the prognostic and predictive effect on PFS and OS. Results: Pretreatment serum biomarker levels were determined in 510 patients (70 %) of 725 BOLERO-2 patients randomized 2:1 to EVE+EXE or EXE). Serum levels (25%, 50%, 75%) were: ferritin (68.9, 125.5, 253.1 ng/ml); IL-8 (14.5, 19.4, 27.7 pg/ml); and TNFR1 (1205, 1470, 1868 pg/ml). Ferritin correlated significantly with TNFR1 (r=0.45, p<0.0001), while IL-8 correlated weakly with TNFR1 (r=0.10, p=0.023). Higher levels of all 3 biomarkers were prognostic for significantly shorter PFS and OS (table). But no biomarkers were predictive: everolimus was efficacious regardless of the 3 biomarker levels (p>0.05). Conclusions: High levels of serum ferritin, IL-8, and TNFR1 were significantly associated with shorter PFS and OS in HR+/HER2- MBC patients. Everolimus had superior outcomes compared to placebo, regardless of serum biomarker level. These 3 significant prognostic biomarkers are all associated with increased inflammatory processes through different pathways. Anti-inflammatory therapy targeted against these biomarkers should be evaluated based on serum level as potential combination therapy with everolimus or CDK 4/6 inhibitors in HR+ MBC.

BiomarkerLevel# patientsMedian PFS (mo)HR
(PFS)
95% CI
(PFS)
Median
OS (mo)
HR
(OS)
95% CI (OS)
IL-8
low1286.839.2
middle2566.81.110.87 - 1.4230.71.341.00 - 1.80
high1272.91.841.39 - 1.8417.52.471.80 - 3.40
TNFR1
low1286.836.5
middle2556.81.150.90 - 1.4733.61.250.93 - 1.69
high12741.851.40 - 2.4417.52.721.98 - 3.73

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Breast Cancer—Metastatic

Track

Breast Cancer

Sub Track

Hormone Receptor-Positive

Citation

J Clin Oncol 38: 2020 (suppl; abstr 1067)

DOI

10.1200/JCO.2020.38.15_suppl.1067

Abstract #

1067

Poster Bd #

152

Abstract Disclosures